Knitted fabric and method



y 20, 19.41- R. F. LOVELL 2,242,957

KNITTED FABRTC AND METHOD Filed Dec. 7, 1939 f /I/Z'A/rma. Q0 27 Patented May 20, 194i N Fries KNITTED Fannie AND Manson Roy F. Lovell, Providence, R. E, assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. ll., a corporation of Massachusetts I Application December "a, 1939, Serial No. We

8 Claims.

This application involves an invention in knitted fabrics, more specifically, the edges of such fabrics wherein a selvage is to be produced resistant to curling or rolling and of a substantial and pleasing appearance. In stocln'ng tops such edges are desirable, especially when an elastic yarn is incorporated in the fabric for the purpose of rendering the same elastic as for a garter, and also for simulating a rib appearance.

In the figuresof the drawing;

. Fig. 1 is a conventional illustration of a halfhose to which the invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a view showing a fragment of a stocking top and illustratin perhaps to an exag gerated degree, the efiect realized;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modified form; and

Fig. 4 is a conventional illustration of a section of fabric showing stitches greatly enlarged and illustrating the stitch structure as it may be constituted adjacent the edge of the fabric.

According to certain practices several expedients have been employed for effecting the knitting of a fabric edge such-as in hosiery wherein the inherent tendency to curl or roll is resisted to a great degree. According to one of these the initial courses in which elastic yarn is incorporated have that elastic yam fedunder a greater tension than it is fed in following courses of the top or fabric. In another tuck stitches are knitted while elastic yarn. and non-elastic yarn have been fed simultaneously to knit in spaced courses.

In one example, an elastic yarn is fed at one feed in a typical hosiery machine while a non-elastic yarn or yarns isor are fed at another feed, the elastic yarn being knitted or otherwise held in spaced wales, while [the non-elastic yarn is preferably knitted at all wales. At the very edge the non-elastic yarn is tucked over a plurality of courses, for example, two, four, six or more courses.

Applicant has discovered that if the elastic yarn being introduced at the edge of fabric of this type is subjected to appreciably greater tension throughout the first few courses, and that tuck stitches are knitted for a group or groups of courses adjacent the edge of the fabric, a very marked resistance to curling'and rolling results whereby the resulting fabric is much more satisfactory than might be expected from using either expedient alone.

Now referring to the figures of the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a circular type half-hose having a. top generally indicated at l, leg 2, foot 3 having the usual heel 4 and toe 5. The top is or may be knitted as in St. Pierre Patent #2,l31,720, an elastic yarn being fed under relatively light tension at one feed in a hosiery machine, while at the other feed, generally a main feeding station,

non-elastic yarn is fed and knitted on all needles, th elastic yarn being knitted on spaced needles only. Preferably the elastic yarn is introduced continuously so that it is interknitted with each non-elastic yarn course and at every other needle thereby giving a so-called l x 1 type of simulated rib. Obviously, other arrangements may be resorted to wherein the elastic will be spaced throughout more wales and/or more courses.

At the edge of the fabric the elastic yarn is to be fed under an appreciably greater tension for at least the initial course, and more probably, throughout two, four or six courses, at least as many courses being subjected to this greater tension as will be required to draw in the edge of the stocking top or other fabric positively to obtain the necessary resistance to curling.- This additional tension on the elastic yarn may be imposed by mechanism functioning on the usual rtension device and deriving control from any suitable pattern means on the machine. The additional tension will preferably be governed by the same mechanism which serves to control the knitting of tuck stitches at the edge.

Referring to Fig. 4 a few courses are shown according to one example of knitting wherein a group of tuck stitches is knitted at the very edge of the fabric. Other similar groups may be knitted in continuation, for example, two or three groups problably being more desirable. An elastic yarn 6' is initially fed to alternate needles knitting in wales I, 9 and H and more or less simultaneously, at the other side of the machine a non-elastic yarn I2 is fed to all needles casting off th first drawn elastic which will serve as an initial or selvage binding course. The elastic continues to be drawn as at the courses l3 and i4 while yarn l2 continues to be drawn as in courses l5 and it. The said yarn i2 knits in walves l, 9, ll, etc., while it is not knitted off but tucked in wales 8, ill, etc. The extent of these tuck courses may be varied according to the yarn used and other considerations, it probably being desirable to knit a four or six course tuck. After terminating the group or groups of tuck courses the top or other fabric will be con- V tinued knitting as in St. Pierre Patent #2,13l,720

according to the invention as herein illustrated,

at varying spaced wales and at adjacent or nonadiacent courses.

In Fig. 1 a group of these tuck stitches has been illustrated and the effect of subjecting the elastic therein to additional tension is shown at the section designated by numeral H. In Fig. 3

plied wherein tension on the first group would be greater than that on the next succeeding or subsequent group. This graduated tension might also be applied throughout a single group of tuck courses. Similar tuck courses may appear at other parts-of the fabric as at the section l9, Fig. 3, however it is not contemplated to vary the tension at that point, it being at whatever degree of tension prevails throughout the main body of the elastic top. In Fig. 2 there has been shown a fragment of such a stocking top or other fabric wherein the general effect of these groups of tuck courses is illustrated to a somewhat exaggerated degree. The groups of tuck courses l8 and I9 are diagrammatically shown as they tend to create a thickened or embossed appearance, the actual structure being such that curling or rolling is reduced by their presence. Between these tuck groups, the fabric will appear as simulated rib fabric, spaced wales being drawn together by the elastic yarn incorporated therein. The first of the tuck group I8, Fig. 2, is shown being drawn in at the edge as a result of the increased tension at that locality.

The invention as described with respect to a preferred embodiment is to be produced on a circular type hosiery machine, the same being practicable in any of the well-known or con ventional hosiery now available. The same may be applied in other types of machines such as full-fashioned knitting machines, the elastic being incorporated under greater tension at the edge than throughout following portions of a welt or top' structure, and tuck stitches knitted throughout certain groups of courses at or adjacent the edge of the fabric. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A knitted fabric having a selvage including courses knitted from elastic and non-elastic yarns, the construction being such that the nonelastic yarn is drawn into tuck stitches at spaced wales and the elastic yarn is fed under a greater tension in the initial course, at least, than in following courses.

2. A knitted fabric having selvage courses in which non-elastic and elastic yarns are incorporated, the elastic yarn being further incorporated throughout an additional extent of fabric, the non-elastic yarn being drawn into tuck stitches at spaced wales in a group of courses adjacent the edge of the fabric and throughout some at least of said group of courses, the elastic yarn being drawn under substantially greater tension than throughout those courses following.

3. A knitted stocking top having elastic yarn incorporated at a plurality of recurrent courses as for purposes of a garter, the elastic yarn being so incorporated as to be held at spaced wales in a base fabric of non-elastic yarn, the said non-elastic yarn being knitted at some of the wales and drawn into tuck stitches at others, the elastic yarn being drawn under substantially greater tension at the initial courses at and adjacent the selvage than it is drawn throughout following portions of the fabric.

4. A stocking top having non-elastic yarn andelastic yarn knitted throughout a substantial extent, the elastic yarn being knitted in selvage courses and under a tension substantially greater than tension employed in following courses in which it is incorporated, the said non-elastic yarn being knitted into tuck stitches at spaced wales in groups of courses adjacent the selvage.

5. A method of knitting fabric having a selvage including the steps of feeding elastic and nonelastic yarns, the elastic yarn being incorporated in such a manner as to be held at spaced wales in recurrent courses and under a tension substantially greater in the first few courses than in those following, the non-elastic yarn being drawn into tuck stitches in spaced wales and in groups of courses adjacent the edge of the fabric.

6. Amethod of knitting a stocking top includ ing a selvage and involving the steps of feeding elastic and non-elastic yarns under tension, the elastic yarn being fed to be held at spaced wales at recurrent courses and under a substantially greater tension for the first few courses at the selvage than in following courses, the non-elastic yarn being drawn into tuck stitches at a plurality of courses adjacent the edge of the fabric.

7. A knitted fabric having a selvage including courses formed from elastic and non-elastic yarns, the construction being such that the nonelastic yarn is knitted as tuck stitches at spaced wales in said courses, and the elastic yarn, in-. corporated to be held at spaced wales in at least some of said courses, is of lesslength per course in courses at the selvage than in following courses, whereby the edge of the fabric is drawn in a substantial amount.

8. A circularly knitted stocking top having at the selvage thereof a plurality of courses formed from elastic and non-elastic yarns, the construction being such that the non-elastic yarn, knitted in all courses, is tucked at spaced wales and the elastic yarn is so incorporated at some at least of said courses as to be held at spaced wales, the elastic yarn being in a contracted state and serving to draw the fabric together laterally so that wales in which the elastic yarn is held are drawn together forcing intermediate wales to the face of the fabric thereby simulating a rib appearance, elastic carrying courses at the very edge of lowing.

the tuck selvage courses being drawn together to a relatively smaller diameter than courses fol- ROY F. LOVELL. 

